The short film starring trans actress Gaya de Medeiros and actor Ivo Canelas was included in the shortlist of titles that could be nominated for the Academy Awards, in the category of Best Short Film (Live Action Short Film, in English).

Produced by Take it Easy, based in Lisbon, the short film won the award for best queer film in France, at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, in February.

Last week, it was revealed that trans actor Elliot Page, along with Matt Jordan Smith and Tuck Dowrey, from Pageboy Productions, became executive producers of the short.

The story focuses on the meeting between “Larissa, a trans woman and Cláudio, a cis man”, on a night in Lisbon, as mentioned in the synopsis, produced by Andreia Nunes and Frederico Serra.

Ary Zara shares that the film is “a very simple story, free of violence and death, with new possibilities for trans people in mind”.

The shortlist includes 14 more productions, including Pedro Almodóvar’s film “Strange Way of Life”, which features Portuguese actor José Condessa in the cast. The decision on who will be nominated for the Oscars will be revealed in January, with the ceremony scheduled for March 10, 2024.

Another film with Portuguese participation that made it onto one of the shortlists announced on December 21, is “Pobres Creaturas” by Yorgos Lanthimos, which includes Carminho’s fado “The Room”.

A good portion of the action in the film was in Lisbon, included in the shortlist for Best Soundtrack, in addition to Best Visual Effects and Best Characterisation.

Outside this list voted by Academy members was Portugal’s candidate for Best International Film, “Mal Viver”, by João Canijo.

For the first time, a Portuguese production was nominated in the 2023 edition of the Oscars, in the category of Best Animated Short Film: “Ice Merchants”, by João Gonzalez and Bruno Caetano.

The definitive list of nominees will be revealed on January 23, 2024, for what will be the 96th edition of the Academy Awards.